From Nomon Tim

Dear Sangha,

A wonderful, and sometimes challenging, aspect of our practice is how open ended it is. There's a formless spirit to it even though there are some forms it takes.

We aren't trying to "do" something special or accomplish something in our practice. Rather, our effort is to deeply engage with our life. To sit and study and be in sangha not as a means to some ends, not to improve ourselves or solve our problems, but as an expression of our engagement and love for this gift of being. 

In a way there's literally nothing to it. And yet it's unfathomably deep and meaningful to live a life in, with, and through, the practice. I'm sure you've tasted the feeling of this. It's hard to put words to isn't it? I don't know anything else quite like it.

This open-ended quality serves as a wonderful antidote to our tendencies to try to fix ourselves (and everyone around us) and the underlying negativity and fear that emerges from. We practice just to practice, not because we are lacking or broken in some way, but to discover (and rediscover!) the wonder of being wholly and exactly who and what we are. Our way of practice is an expression of wholeness.

The challenge here is how easy it is to lose the thread of a formless practice!

Practice can fade away, we lose focus - even if we continue doing the activities of practice like regular zazen in community with the sangha.

And so our practice benefits from regular renewal and periods of a focus and intentionality. 

Here is where our annual Winter Practice Period is such a treasure and opportunity.

Coming together as a community we reinvigorate our engagement. We turn towards our lives as they are with the power and curiosity with the support of Dharma teachings, studies and looking at our lives together as Sangha. Buddha is right at hand.

Practice Period is a translation of the term ango (安居) meaning "abiding in peace." The active verb abiding meets the wide open field of peacefulness when we practice together in this way. Discoveries are many and can be both quiet and remarkable.

I hope you'll sign up for Practice Period this week whether you're in Bellingham or further afield. The logistics are:

1. Sign up for the overall Practice Period. Set intentions for which Practice Period events you'll come to and explore your deeper aspirations during this period. There are no right answers but reflecting on the question is helpful.
   
   Note the invitation in this sign up to have a Practice Period Partner: someone you're touch in with regularly during these 8 weeks. A huge support. You can arrange your own partner or you can invite me to pair you with someone. I urge you not to let barriers to this opportunity (social anxiety, feeling too busy, whatever they may be) get in your way. Open to having a practice period partner if you can.
   
   
2. Next, sign up for the retreats and classes you plan to attend. It's a bit of clicking and form filling I know. Our system doesn't allow registering for several events at one go. In this group we have the Opening Sesshin, the Shuso's Class, the Introduction to Zen class, and the Closing Sesshin. If you can't do the Closing Sesshin there's an RSVP for the important Shuso's Dharma Inquiry Ceremony which completes Practice Period.
   
   
3. Attend the Opening Ceremony if you possibly can. It's also available online over Zoom if you can't make it to Bellingham in person.
   
   
4. Engage as fully as you can in the many opportunities of Practice Period. Both events with the sangha (sitting more zazen is a traditional part of this!) but even more importantly: in each moment of your life. What's arising now? How am I meeting it? How can I feel into this? Yes. Yes. Yes.

For myself I want to especially focus during Practice Period this year on noticing the inner tug of fear and anxiety in it's many forms. I hope to breathe with those feelings; honor and explore them; speak up about my needs as appropriate; gently challenge some of my habits and assumptions; and move forward into the engaged choices and connections that nurture me and this world. 

I look forward to hearing a little about your intentions and the honor of practicing with you in this year's Winter Practice Period.

warmly,
Nomon Tim